Evening concert at the Queen’s House with the London Chamber Soloists

Anna Noakes, Gabriella Dall’Olio and Bob Smissen met while playing with major London orchestras and created the London Chamber Soloists, drawn by their shared passion for the flute, viola and harp repertoire.

Anna’s intensity and magnificent colours join Gabriella’s dynamic and virtuosic harp playing and Bob’s rapturous, singing sound; together they create a fantastic and inspirational trio energy. Their sonorous and expressive playing allows each player’s freedom and sense of phrasing to flourish and each of their three outstanding musical experience to meet beautifully.

The London Chamber Soloists have performed at many British and French venues and festivals including Les Heures Musicales D’Aujols; Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Walden; Edenbridge Music and Arts Trust and Temple Music Foundation concerts.

The London Chamber Soloists has inspired commissions and has premiered trios by Martin Yates, César Secundino, Tony Britten and John Ashton Thomas.

"Noakes is brilliant!, inspired virtuosic performances” BBC Music Magazine

Anna’s playing has inspired composers such as Simon Holt, Martin Yates, Cecilia McDowall, Elgar Howarth, Dave Heath and Martin Butler to write for her. She has recorded numerous CDs for Dutton, ASV, Naxos and Guild of both solo and chamber music, many of which have received Gramophone magazine's coveted “Critics Choice”.

She has broadcast recitals for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and works as Guest Principal Flute with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and English National Opera’s together with English Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, CLS, Lochrian Ensemble and Britten Sinfonia. 

She is also in demand to record the music for film and TV scores including, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Mary Poppins Returns, Mamma Mia!, Kingsman, James Bond, Harry Potter, Bridget Jones and Love Actually.

“The subtlest, sweetest solo viola in the world.” The Times

After playing with the European Community Youth Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Bob took the position of principal viola with the Northern Sinfonia before joining the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with whom he has been principal viola for over 30 years. 

He often performs as a soloist with the orchestra. As a member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields chamber ensemble and the Pro Arte Piano Quartet, he has performed, broadcast and recorded all over the world. 

Recent recordings include the complete Brahms piano quartets and Dittersdorf duo concerto. Robert is regularly invited to play with the Brodsky and Allegri quartets, the Fleesensee Festival with Julia Fischer and friends, and the World Orchestra for Peace.

“Gabriella Dall’Olio has a superb technique and an acute sense of rhythm… and she reaches such fine colours and nuances which bring to her harp a poetic dimension”

Gabriella Dall’Olio inspires audiences throughout the world with solo recitals and chamber music concerts. Over the last three decades, she has received considerable international recognition and prizes. 

She has two highly acclaimed solo albums to her name with Claves Records alongside numerous concerti, duos and chamber ensemble recordings for Ambitus, AVS, Dal Segno and Stradivarius. Gabriella has commissioned, premiered and recorded many contemporary works by composers including Chiara Benati, Christopher Caine, David Knotts, Paul Lewis, James MacMillan, John Marson and Alasdair Nicolson. She works regularly with young composers.

Gabriella plays as Guest Harp with the Berlin Philharmonic, and as Guest Principal Harp with some of the world’s finest orchestras including the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic. She has worked with internationally renowned conductors, such as Abbado, Harnoncourt, Janssen, Maazel, Petrenko, Rattle and Salonen. She has also enjoyed working with pop stars Phil Collins, Elton John, Kasabian, Sting and Tina Turner.